PRESIDENT TRUMP LAMENTED “S—HOLE COUNTRIES” DURING IMMIGRATION NEGOTIATIONS ON THURSDAY WITH LAWMAKERS IN THE OVAL OFFICE, FOX NEWS HAS CONFIRMED.

“WHY ARE WE HAVING ALL THESE PEOPLE FROM S—HOLE COUNTRIES COME HERE?” THE PRESIDENT SAID, IN COMMENTS FIRST REPORTED BY THE WASHINGTON POST.

PRESIDENT - WAS - REFERRING - TO - PEOPLE

THE PRESIDENT WAS REFERRING TO PEOPLE FROM HAITI, EL SALVADOR, NICARAGUA, HONDURAS AND AFRICAN COUNTRIES IN THE TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS PROGRAM, A SOURCE IN THE MEETING TOLD FOX NEWS.

ABOUT A DOZEN PEOPLE, BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS, WERE IN THE ROOM AT THE TIME, INCLUDING SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM AND ILLINOIS DEMOCRATIC SEN. DICK DURBIN.

TRUMP - MADE - THE - COMMENTS - AS

TRUMP MADE THE COMMENTS AS DURBIN WAS READING A LIST OF TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS COUNTRIES.

THE PRESIDENT ALSO SUGGESTED THE UNITED STATES SHOULD ADMIT MORE PEOPLE FROM COUNTRIES LIKE NORWAY INSTEAD, THE POST SAID. TRUMP HAD MET WITH NORWEGIAN PRIME MINISTER ERNA SOLBERG AND HELD A NEWS CONFERENCE WITH HER WEDNESDAY.

IN - A - STATEMENT - THE - WHITE

IN A STATEMENT, THE WHITE HOUSE DID NOT DENY TRUMP MADE THE COMMENTS.

“CERTAIN WASHINGTON POLITICIANS CHOOSE TO FIGHT FOR FOREIGN COUNTRIES, BUT PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL ALWAYS FIGHT FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,” SAID RAJ SHAH, THE PRINCIPAL DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY.

DEMOCRATS - REACTED - BY - ACCUSING - THE

DEMOCRATS REACTED BY ACCUSING THE PRESIDENT OF RACISM.

“AS AN AMERICAN, I AM ASHAMED OF THE PRESIDENT,” SAID ILLINOIS DEMOCRATIC REP. LUIS GUTIÉRREZ. “HIS COMMENTS ARE DISAPPOINTING, UNBELIEVABLE, BUT NOT SURPRISING. WE ALWAYS KNEW THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP DOESN’T LIKE PEOPLE FROM CERTAIN COUNTRIES OR PEOPLE OR CERTAIN COLORS.”

SOME - REPUBLICANS - ALSO - VOICED - THEIR

SOME REPUBLICANS ALSO VOICED THEIR DISAPPROVAL. FLORIDA REP. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, WHOSE DISTRICT INCLUDES MIAMI, RESPONDED: “LANGUAGE LIKE THAT SHOULDN’T BE HEARD IN LOCKER ROOMS AND IT SHOULDN’T BE HEARD IN THE WHITE HOUSE.”

REP. MIA LOVE OF UTAH, WHOSE PARENTS WERE HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS, CALLED ON TRUMP TO APOLOGIZE, SAYING HIS COMMENTS WERE “UNKIND, DIVISIVE, ELITIST, AND FLY IN THE FACE OF OUR NATION’S VALUES.”